


Unexpected (But More Than Welcome)

by TheSistersBread



Series: The Civilian-ANBU Phenomenon [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: ANBU Deserve Better, Civilians Deserve Better, Friendship, Friendship is Magic, How To Get Adopted, Imagination, Iwagakure | Hidden Stone Village, Kirigakure | Hidden Mist Village, Konohagakure | Hidden Leaf Village, Kumogakure | Hidden Cloud Village, Let yourself imagine, Secret Relationship, Secrets, Sunagakure | Hidden Sand Village, Uzushiogakure | Hidden Eddy Village, any of them, hidden villages
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 19:07:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29494800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSistersBread/pseuds/TheSistersBread
Summary: How it all began.
Relationships: ANBU & Civilians
Series: The Civilian-ANBU Phenomenon [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2166465
Comments: 2
Kudos: 46





	Unexpected (But More Than Welcome)

It started small.

They started small.

It didn't happen quickly or easily but it happened.

It wasn't supposed to.

No one knew who started it.

Those that did would never admit it.

It started with a young child, a civilian.

It started with a disillusioned Shinobi, an ANBU.

Their worlds weren't destined to clash but it happened.

The child was precious, really.

The Shinobi was weary.

All it took to topple a regime, to change the course of history was a flower.

"ANBU-san, I wanted you to have this!"

The ANBU should have fled.

They didn't.

"I got you a flower because I couldn't find anything else and flowers are pretty, right? And people like being pretty, don't they? And when it wilts, I'll get you another one... if you want me to." The child quiets at the end, shyness bleeding through.

The ANBU didn't respond verbally, simply ruffling the kid's hair.

They shouldn't have come back.

They did.

It was worth it.

And when the young child told the other children about his lonely ANBU friend, they decided to adopt ANBU friends too.

No one should ever underestimate the will of children.

They get what they want.

And they did.

Soon the word spread.

Civilian children, weak, worthless, quick to die, became the ANBUs' anchor.

Maybe the children were civilian.

But civilian didn't mean weak.

The ANBU watched the civilians, watched them work to exhaustion to protect their children, extend both kindness and cruelty and they realised all those people had been wrong.

Because civilians weren't weak.

They watched young teenagers learn to restructure and create buildings.

Buildings that were more often than not destroyed.

They watched children learn the customs of the other Villages.

Become diplomats and preserve the peace.

But most importantly, they watched them rage and delight.

Civilian were frightfully expressive.

Too expressive.

But as they watched, the civilians used this to manipulate.

Perhaps they didn't realise it was manipulation.

And they saw the civilians navigate conversations they could never.

Grow things and negotiate trade in a way they didn't know how to do.

They were ANBU, servants of the Village.

The Kage changed, the Village didn't.

They were the Village.

And if the ANBU came to the civilians first when they were injured before seeking out a hospital?

And if there was an extra place always ready in even the poorest of households?

And if once or twice or thrice or a lot more times, the ANBU were happy to play with the children?

And if adult civilians had no qualms about scolding the ANBU and forcefully persuading them to take a rest?

And if they were the ones the ANBU thought of during missions?

And if they swore to stand beside each other?

So what?

What could be?


End file.
